Psychic on trial in Florida for defrauding clients of millions

For many of us, visiting a psychic is nothing more than for quick entertainment. "Learn your future" and get a good laugh. However, there are others who believe this kind of advice is written in stone and people can be fleeced out of money by charlatans who take advantages of them.

In Florida, the state is prosecuting a gypsy fortune-teller who is accused of defrauding multiple clients out of millions of dollars in cash and jewelry.

The Sun Sentinel is covering the trial of Rose Marks. She proclaimed herself to be a psychic and one of her clients was Sylvia Roma. She gave a reading in 1997 that was "just for entertainment" but was told her family was cursed. Over the next 14 years, Roma sent Marks roughly $800,000 worth of cash, gold coins and jewelry that Marks demand to do her "work" to lift the course.

According to testimony, Marks operated out of both Manhattan and South Florida during this time. She told Roma that the money would be returned when the "work" was done, but proclaimed in July 2002 that $500,000 was destroyed during the 9/11 attacks and asked Roma for more, which she sent. To date, Marks has only returned $22,000 of the money Roma sent her.

Roma is one of a number of victims that have been defrauded by Marks and her family to a total of about $25 million.

Having a psychic reading can be entertaining, but should not be taken seriously. A simple people search through Radaris can show the reputations of these people before you start sending them money and gold coins.